Vermillion
by Velvet Death
Summary: Red X is Robin's alter ego. But when Red X starts to follow and seduce Raven, and Robin was accountable at all those times, what would the Titans do? Who is Red X? RobRav [Finished]
1. Red

**Vermillion**

_Chapter 1: Red_

**:1:**

Red is a color.

_Boy, that's a brilliant statement._

No, I wasn't finished.

_Fine. Go on, then. 'Red is a color...' Psh..._

Red is a color. It is a blend of pigments on canvas, a trick of the light, a tint corresponding to the most important liquid in our bodies—blood. Red is beautiful. Red also goes by different names—scarlet, crimson, cherry, blood-hued, sanguine, ruby, garnet, cardinal, and lastly, vermillion. In this particular story, red has a great significance. Why, you ask?

_No, I didn't._

Shut up. Why, you ask? Because our hero (sort of) is a man named Red X.

[Insert maniacal laugh here.]

_God, she's pathetic._

I said, shut up!

**:2:**

Red X. Tattered cape, skulled mask, a tear-like X on his muscular chest. Even though he was a villain in some ways, Robin's alter ego was pretty good-looking.

Not as good-looking as Aqualad, but up there among the most attractive.

Why? Maybe it was his mysterious ways. The mask he wore to hid his features, he dark clothing, the ability he had to disappear—all were symbols of his enigmatic personality that was truly attractive to members of the female population. Or maybe it was his malevolent hobbies—stealing, fighting, consorting with villains.

Red X was rather irresistible when you really thought about it. Too bad he was gung-ho Robin at heart.

Right?

**:3:**

Raven perched on a high wooden stool in her favorite café, populated by beatniks wearing shades and snapping black-clad poets. The shaded lights flickered as a favorite rapped out a poem, to which many others snapped in approval. A painting caught her attention for a second, a new arrival most probably, of a black bird battling with a white bird and the world was trapped between them, an allegory of the battle of good vs evil, a battle she herself was so familiar with. She sipped her tea, an Indian-Chinese mix, and flipped through the book she had just bought from a hopeful, aspiring young girl standing outside the café.

_The nights throb with..._

..._Our love courses like..._

Typical of young writers—they don't address anything important. They focus on such pathetic, hormone-driven things as love and lust, cold hands and gleaming eyes, sweeping locks and muscular legs, and the cliché Raven hated the most—satin sheets. Who the hell had satin sheets automatically when their crush drops by for a visit?

She snapped the book shut and laid some change on the table for Kevin, her favorite bartender.

"Young crap?" he asked sympathetically, taking out some kiwis.

Raven rolled her eyes affirmatively and headed out, bypassing the enthusiastic young writer. When she turned a corner, she dropped the book on a bench for someone infatuated to pick up and devour ravenously.

Someone—or something—suddenly pulled her into an alley. "Disregarding a teenager's dreams, Raven," the young man whispered in her ear. She struggled and tried to pull away but the assailant had pinned her against the brick wall tightly. "Now isn't that a little cruel?"

Her eyes beginning to glow white, she started to mutter her spell when an adhesive strip suddenly covered her mouth. She had felt this once before. X. Robin.

She turned to regard the man to see a skull-like mask looking at her. The eyes gleamed – oh, the irony! – in mischief and he let one of her arms free to stroke her thigh. "Perhaps you haven't experienced the cold hands so often described in their poems, have you? Beautiful Raven, caught in her own misery!"

She froze in her place. Was Robin hitting on her? "Mmmmph!" she said in shock. Then, remembering her freed limb, she swept up her hand and slapped him on the cheek. She could almost see him grin devilishly under the mask and let her go, sinking into the shadows on the opposite wall.

Raven tried to pull the X off, but it stayed like a piece of her skin. Cursing in her head, she headed back towards the Tower.

**:4:**

A mute scream and a faded angry mark later, Raven knocked on Robin's door only to find Starfire coming out of it. "Oh! Friend Raven!" Starfire said, blushing fiercely.

"What are you doing?" asked Raven, an eyebrow cocked.

"Friend Robin accompanied me to the mall of shopping and I wished to thank him so..." Starfire was positioned exactly in the doorway, as if blocking something.

"In his room?"

"Why, yes..." Starfire trailed off and blushed even harder, if it was possible. Raven opened and closed her mouth several times before she could figure out what to ask next.

"He was with you the entire time, then."

"Yes. Why?" Just then, Robin came out from behind Starfire, looking as amiable as ever.

"Hey, Raven. What's up?" Robin asked, looking unusually upbeat.

"Nothing, Wonder Boy," said Raven, looking him over. Did he attack her earlier? Was it Robin? Starfire giggled a little and moved out of the doorway.

"I will leave you to your discussion then," she said before fleeing to her room.

"Something wrong?" asked Robin.

"You didn't leave Starfire the entire time you were shopping, right?"

"Well, besides when she was changing, no. Why?"

"No reason. Oh, and Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have your belt on."

Robin turned an alarming shade of red as Raven smirked at him.

"Starfire is very pretty, huh?"

Before he could answer, Raven walked off, deep in thought. If Robin wasn't Red X, then who was? And why did he touch me? As she entered her room, she opened the light and it took most of her training not to scream. On her bed, as a farewell, was a big, red X.

**:Fin:**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Nor will I ever. Sigh.

Hoped you liked my chappy one! Please review!


	2. Beautiful

**Vermillion **

_Chapter 2: Beautiful_

**:1:**

"Someone went into my room," Raven said.

The room hushed suddenly and four faces turned big eyes onto her rigid, shaking figure. Video games suddenly paused and puddings were left in the mixer. The other Titans took a step back and snuck looks at each other. Raven's wrath was an unstoppable force—none of them wanted to experience it.

"I bet it was BB," said Cyborg finally.

"Hey!" Beast Boy protested. "I learned my lesson the last time. I bet it was you."

"Why would I go into Raven's room?"

"Well, it couldn't have been Starfire or Robin! They were shopping," reasoned Beast Boy.

Raven's eye twitched. Reaching out with her power, she caught a handful of Robin's shirt and pulled him towards her, hanging him six inches from the floor. "Ok, Boy Wonder," she asked dangerously. Nearby, a stove broke. "What were you doing in my room?"

Starfire's eyes went wide—as did Cyborg and Beast Boy's. "Robin?" they chorused.

"But I wasn't in your room!" Robin said, struggling to get out of Raven's grip. "I have always respected your privacy! Let me down!"

A lamp went out behind Raven. "Right. Then why..." she pulled Robin down and whispered into his ear. Robin's mask stretched wide as saucers and his mouth dropped open.

"On your bed?" he asked incredulously.

"What's on Raven's bed?" asked Beast Boy, starting to smirk.

"Yes, Friend Robin. What is on Friend Raven's bed?"

Robin gulped at the deadly glare Raven was sending his way. "Uh... I'll tell you later. Right now I have to get something from my room...." He rushed off to avoid a sulking Raven.

"I'm going to my room."

"Can I come?"

"NO." A window cracked.

"Oh, Friend Raven, what has Robin done? Has he deposited a glamforg nabork on your bed? Or a vamglork trulbag?" Starfire's great green eyes watered up with guilt for her beloved friend and clasped her hands together. "Is it truly so bad?"

A vein in Raven's forehead pulsed. "If you really want to know, ask him yourself."

**:2:**

"But I don't understand why it would be on your bed. It's not like Red X popped up and kidnapped you sometime before or something." Robin said, scratching his head. "After all, he IS me."

Raven had conveniently left out the fact that Red X _had_ accosted her today; it would have been too embarrassing to tell them what he did. Robin fingered the smooth shape and looked back at Raven's bed. The bedclothes had been ruined, so Raven put in orders for more violet covers. An old, slightly moldy turquoise one was on her bed, one that, despite several threats from the dark girl, she had to use.

"And besides, who would have known I kept the props from my Red X stage in the third drawer of my cabinet? It's not like someone could have tapped into our security system and watched us from our own cameras, right?"

They exchanged glances.

**:3:**

"You want _what_?" Cyborg stared at them as if they were crazy. "Why would we replace the entire computer system? It's not like someone's stalking you."

Robin cleared his throat and Raven narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Then as a security measure, change all the passwords. Twice," Raven said, her voice more angry than cold.

"Don't you think that's a little extreme? All someone did was put an X on your bed. It's not like they're going to rape you or something. And the security measures in the Tower make it imposs..." Robin was cut short by a not-so-friendly cuff on his head, courtesy of Raven.

"Someone put an _X_ on your bed? A Red X?" Cyborg began to chortle. "Wow, I could tell why you thought it was Robin."

"Don't you dare tell anyone," snarled Raven. "Too many people know already."

"Don't worry, it was probably Beast Boy pulling a prank on you."

"Right. And he knew exactly where I kept my stuff?" asked Robin, rubbing the spot where Raven had hit him.

"Um... BB could have looked for it while you were out... we didn't start playing video games until an hour ago. You were gone what? Four hours?"

"Four hours?" Raven looked at Robin quizzically.

"Heh. Starfire insisted on visiting everyone of the shops, even the ones that sold maternity clothing."

"Maternity clothing? Are you trying to tell us something?" Cyborg teased. "Will a little spiky-haired, starbolt-flinging kid be coming sometime soon?"

"Shut up!" Robin's ears started to turn pink. "Starfire wanted to feel the babies kick in their mother's stomachs."

"Riiight."

"And I was telling her that it was rather embarrassing. Teenage girls kept pressing their noses up on the glass to stare at me, talking with a pregnant lady."

"Hello? My problem? Red X on my bed?" Raven asked tiredly. The two others continued to argue about Starfire and babies. "All right. I'll just change all the passwords myself and not tell anyone. That way, when the bad guys get here, I'll be the only one with access to the Tower security measures."

That got their attention. "NO!" Cyborg said.

"We'll help," said Robin.

Raven gave an irritated sigh and turned to the computer. "First password?"

**:4:**

She couldn't sleep. Shadows twisted on her ceiling, dancing and laughing at her insomnia. All around her, the darkness swirled like imprisoned demons in the night. It was raining outside, the little drops of water tapping at the window like knocks on the door. She pulled the cover up to her chin and shivered as she remembered Red X. Then the smell of moldy blanket overwhelmed her and she pushed it away, wrinkling her nose.

Why was she still thinking of him? What was so interesting about Red X? Was it his voice? Was it his strength? Was it his knowledge of her weaknesses? Did she get some perverse pleasure knowing that he would dominate her? And would he? After all, Red X was Robin, no one else.

She sighed and turned on her side, a few strands of violet hair falling in her eyes. She pushed it away absently. Was it because he had called her _beautiful_?

A statue she had since she was five blew up and the fragments scattered like rain.

No man she had known before referred to her as beautiful. Her mother, Arella, had once said she was beautiful, but that was when she was a child. Her father—who was she kidding? Her childhood had been rather isolated, in order for her to learn to control her powers. None of the boys she knew then would look at her twice. Her face was too ashen, her eyes too cold, her personality to frigid. But Red X—Robin—had called her beautiful.

Not that it was important. He was kidding, of course. He was teasing her about leaving that book on the chair, about her jaded view on love. He didn't really think she was beautiful. He thought _Starfire_ was beautiful, _sunsets_ were beautiful, defeating villains, even, was beautiful to obsessive Robin. But not Raven. Not the cold, distant girl with weird powers. Not the half-demon child who, when her powers go out of control, would kill for fun. Oh, no, not Raven.

"Not sleeping well, my Lady of Sadness?" purred the distorted voice of Red X. Raven turned to see him sprawled on her bed, his head propped up on his hand. His skull-like mask was painted with the shadows of her room, making it seem as if he was leering at her.

"What are you doing in my room? On my bed? Next to me?" Raven hissed, her heart pounding.

"You called, Lady, and I answered." He said in mock reverence.

"I didn't call you!" she said, sitting up. "Get out, now!"

His hand moved behind his mask and a little _twing_ met Raven's ears. "I was just seeing if you were all right," he said, in Robin's voice.

Robin's...

Raven reached out to pull off his mask, but Red X rolled away. "Naughty, naughty," he laughed, fixing whatever it was he did.

"Are you Robin?" asked Raven angrily. "And why would you be in my room at this time of night?"

"I said before, Raven. You called me, and I answered." His gloved finger traced a circle on her palm and she pulled away.

"I don't like to be touched," she said testily.

"Well then, we'll just have to work on that, won't we," said Red X in a sultry tone. "Good night, my pretty. Sleep well." He retreated from her bed into the shadows of a corner of her room where he vanished like smoke.

Raven sat there, as if glued to her bed, for a shocked moment. Then she jumped out of bed, pulled on her cloak, and made her way to Robin's bedroom. Without knocking, she opened the door and stood over the sleeping form of Boy Wonder disbelievingly. He was _snoring_.

"Titans, go..." he mumbled, swinging out his arm and catching Raven's leg. _Hell, Robin_ fights_ in his sleep!_ "Slade..." he said, pulling Raven down. She fell on the floor with a loud _thump_ and Robin woke up.

"Umm... what are you doing here?" he asked after a second of staring at each other.

"You don't sleepwalk, do you?"

"No. Why?"

"Good."

"What, did Red X..."

"He was in my room."

"...and?"

Raven simply looked at Robin. She was not telling him about what Red X _said_, of course. In fact, if it was him, then he should know.

"Well... should we check the security?" he asked, struggling to comprehend what she had just revealed.

"You know what, you go to sleep."

"What about you?" asked Robin worriedly.

"I'll deal."

"Eh, thanks..." said Robin, already half-asleep.

Raven shook her head in frustration as she exited. It was possible she had a stalker on her hands—but vanishing in corners? She was starting to think Red X was a figment of her own imagination.

**:Fin:**

Disclaimer: Teen Titans aren't mine. WAHHHHHHHHH!

Ravenn03: Of course I'm gonna make the chapters longer! I actually got the idea watching the episode and thinking: Wow, he's got a nice bod. I like his cape.... It seems like Red X and Robin don't have exactly the same physique. Red X seems to have more muscle. Or wear a more tight-fitting shirt. [cough] Anyway, I thought, wouldn't it be weird if he started to court Raven and freak her out? So that's where I got the idea.

Le Chat de Darigan: Yeah, I know it's kinda like that... weird, huh? I actually read the summary of the episode but I didn't give it much thought until I came up with the idea of Red X seducing Raven. Heehee... I'm also trying to make it a little creepy, cuz he's basically turning up when she doesn't expect it and whispering in her ear about lust. And, like I said to Ravenn03, of course the chapters are gonna be longer!

To my other reviewers—May you be showered in chocolate, flowers, and creepy dudes with tattered capes! [Insert devious, suggestive, wriggling eyebrows here.]


	3. Sapphire

**Vermillion **

_Chapter 3: Sapphire_

**:1:**

If Red X _was_ a figment of Raven's overactive, twisted imagination, then perhaps it was time to take a trip to Nevermore.

The mirror gleamed in the darkness of her room like a tempting crystal. Raven held the black handle and stared into her reflection, allowing herself to be pulled into her mind. In an instant, the familiar jagged mountains and rocky terrain materialized before her, as did a pink-robed Raven playing jump robe. "Hey Raven! Long time no see!" Happy giggled.

Raven clamped her hands on Happy's shoulders and stopped the whirling of the jump robe with a blast of her power. "Has something strange been happening here? New emotions, entities, anything gaining power?"

Happy shook her head. "Nothing weeeeird has been happening—unless you can count Intelligence pulling out her hair in annoyance."

"What about Lust? Has she appeared?"

"Nope. Ever since you banished her at that picture of George Clooney, she's still sulking in that cave of hers." Happy giggled. "Do you want her to?"

"NO!" said Raven, a little too loudly.

"We know what's been happening with Red X," said Courage, drifting over to Happy's side. "You should confront him and pull his mask off. Or at least attack him when he's not looking. No one should be allowed to do this to you."

"Don't you think I've tried?" Raven scowled.

She knew Courage was lifting an eyebrow skeptically. "Right. You know, I think a little part of you wants him to seduce you."

Raven's eyes grew wide. "Of course not! I don't even like _Robin_!" she declared. "Why Red X?"

A yellow bird molded from the dust on the ground and spread her wings. A moment later, Intelligence straightened and looked Raven in the eye. "Are you sure?" she asked under a bright yellow hood. "This is _Robin_ we're talking about here."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Right."

"What about what happened last week? You remember that?" asked Intelligence shrewdly.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

[Flashback]

_The sun cast a dazzling display of gold, magenta, and orange across the sky, lining the bottom of clouds. Raven put her hood down and turned her large eyes on the surrounding environment slowly. Something inside told her to enjoy the moment, but she pursed her lips and swing her legs over the edge of the Tower, thinking of how she had lost control of her emotions again today. She entertained the idea of going for a swim, but brushed it off. The others would think she was even more crazy than usual if she dived off the ten-story tower. _

"_It's pretty, isn't it?" asked Robin, sitting down next to her._

_Raven suppressed her cry of surprise. She hadn't heard the door open or his footsteps. She must have been really deep in thought for him to sneak up like that. "Something wrong?" he asked, looking at her curiously._

_Raven returned the gaze levelly and saw only the white film of his mask and the black strip around it. She wondered briefly what his eyes, his real eyes, were like. Were they blue? Green? Brown? Gray? Did they have long black lashes? Were they bloodshot from all the nights he stayed up chasing a lead? Obsessive, angry Robin. Secretive as the son of the Dark Knight and friendly in his own character. A natural leader and an understanding friend._

_Raven gave him a small smile, sparse but a rare gem. "No."_

_Robin looked stunned for a moment, then moved his hand over hers in a comforting gesture. "Good." _

_She felt a blush steal over her cheeks and regretted pulling down her hood. She was an empath—she could control emotions in other people if she wanted. She considered how easy it would be to twist Robin's emotions a little and make him love her instead of Starfire. But that would be unfair to the naïve little alien so Raven only pulled her hand away and looked out again at the horizon._

_They spent the next ten minutes sitting next to each other, mutely watching the sun cast sparkling diamonds on the surface of the rippling waves._

_Robin was the first to break the silence. "Funny. You don't seem the kind of girl to enjoy sunsets."_

"_Funny, you don't seem the kind of boy who would sit on the roof and watch a sunset with a friend when he could be chasing bad guys," retorted Raven dryly._

"_Well, you never know," said Robin. "I happen to love sunsets."_

_Raven scoffed. _

"_I'm not kidding," said Robin earnestly._

"_Sure, you love teddy bears and make up, too," said Raven, voice dripping with sarcasm. _

"_Hey, I'm the guy that wears tights, remember?"_

_The corner of Raven's mouth twitched. "So does Beast Boy."_

"_That's more of a body suit."_

_They chuckled a little before Robin stood up and brushed off the dirt on his tights. "I'm gonna go find the others now. You coming?"_

_Raven shook her head._

"_You know, Raven," he said with a disapproving frown, "You stay alone too much. We're your friends. We wand to be with you, to have fun with you."_

_Raven said nothing._

"_Come watch a movie with us?"_

_She glared at him. "You had this planned all along, didn't you?"_

"_Sorta," he said with a cocky grin._

_As she headed down the stairs, Raven started thinking of 101 Ways to Torture a Robin. She came up with 3024._

[End]

"You like him," pronounced Happy.

"I don't," said Raven, exasperated.

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not."

"TOO!"

"NOT."

"This is pointless," said Annoyance, who had popped up somewhere during the sniping of Raven and Happy. She scowled and placed her hand on her hips, her maroon cloak sweeping around her.

"That's right," said Happy, "because you DO like him."

"**NOT**!"

**:2:**

"Soo..." Beast Boy leaned over to Robin with a devious expression in his eyes. "What _was_ on Raven's bed?"

Robin took another spoonful of mashed potatoes and pushed Beast Boy away. "It's not in my power to reveal."

"Sure... what was it?" repeated Beast Boy.

"I can't tell you."

"Oh, come on, man!"

Starfire only looked confused, which added to her cuteness. "Why hasn't Friend Raven come down from her room? It is already lunch period."

Robin coughed and ducked his head.

Cyborg and Beast Boy immediately looked his way. "Ok, Robin. Talk," said the half-robot man.

"Remember what was on her bed? Well, the person responsible showed up in her room during the middle of the night," said Robin, pushing around his food.

"Beast Boy?" Cyborg said, glaring at the changeling.

"Hey, I didn't do anything!" said the green dude in question.

"No, the other one."

"Oh. OH. But isn't he you?"

"This conversation is perplexing me, friends," said Starfire. "What was on Raven's bed? Who appeared in her sleeping quarters?"

Robin and Cyborg exchanged looks. "We promised not to tell."

"What's wrong with you people? C'mon!!!" Beast Boy said, practically jumping in irritation. "Tell!"

"I told you, we CAN'T!" said Cyborg.

"But--"

Beast Boy was cut off by a large buzz. The room suddenly glowed red and Robin jumped out from his seat to scan the computer screens. "There's a robbery downtown at Sam's Sapphires. I'll get Raven. Titans, go!"

Beast Boy morphed into a cheetah, Starfire took to the air, and Cyborg prepared his arm. "See ya," he said to Robin, and followed Beast Boy and Starfire out of the Tower.

Robin ran up the stairs and pounded on Raven's door. "Raven, trouble!" he yelled. "Come out! I know you don't want to come out because of Red X, but you are still a superhero with a duty!"

The door slid open and Raven stepped out, a very harried expression on her ashen face. She lifted up her hood and gave him a look that simply said, _I'm ready._

He grinned and was about to rush off when she caught him by the back of his collar. "There's a much faster way," she said coldly.

He was about to speak when black overwhelmed his vision and he sank into the floor. He could see only black and feel only darkness until he suddenly rose out of the ground in front of Sam's Sapphires.

Raven gave him a smug look. Robin took out his bird-a-rang and tried to forget how fast his heart was beating from the creepy journey.

Starfire was shooting starbolts at a man with a azure necklace in his hand. He dodged each easily and even bypassed Beast Boy's rampaging bull easily. Then he released a silver ball that transformed into an adhesive substance and Beast Boy was stuck in the gum-like stuff. He released another ball at Starfire and an X wrapped around her body. Cyborg was lying in the corner, having short-circuited from the mechanism on his back.

Robin felt his stomach flip over. Red X. He glanced over his shoulder and said; "We can safely say he's not me, right?"

Raven gave him an exasperated look.

Just as he was about to launch himself at Red X, a net was thrown over him and he was flung against the side of the building. He fell with a sickening _thud_ onto the hood of a car.

"And that leaves you, little Raven," laughed X, running circles around her.

She growled. He had just attacked four of her friends and left them struggling to get up. "Azarath Metrion Zin--"

The familiar X-shaped tape closed over her mouth and this time, she didn't try to tear it off. She only glared defiantly at Red X.

"I understand I'm giving you much grief, Raven," sneered Red X, pressing her against a wall. She lifted her knee to kick him, but he blocked it as easily. "I want to make it up to you," he said, catching her wrist as she tried to punch him and twisting it so that she had to withdraw it.

He lifted the pendant in his hand, made of a bird with outstretched wings and sapphire eyes hanging on a silver chain, and placed it on her neck. He laid a finger on her cheek and whispered, "I hope you like it," into her ear, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear almost tenderly. She attempted to hit him again but he jumped back with a laugh and disappeared in a puff of gray smoke.

Raven quickly took off the pendant and frowned at it distastefully. She entered the store to return it to the frightened owner.

"Uhhh..." said Beast Boy, his eyes swirly, white voids, "did you just see what I did?"

**:3:**

"Explain again why we saw the horrible Red X again, Raven," said Starfire almost disbelievingly. They were sitting on the couch in something close to Titans' Council and discussing what they had just seen. Starfire's eyes looked like they would pop out of her head and she was looking between Robin's slumped form and Raven's stiff, indignant stance. Beast Boy was cleaning the last of the sticky glue off and Cyborg was checking the computers. They all seemed bleak and shocked from what had just happened.

"He's... courting me. Well, more like seducing me, but I can't be seduced."

"DUH," said Beast Boy, picking the gum of off his clothing.

If Beast Boy was a snowball, he would have melted five times over at the heat of Raven's glare.

"Could it be an incarnation of your emotions?" asked Starfire, sneaking a hesitant look at Robin's glower.

"No. My emotions are all more or less normal," said Raven.

"So what—who is it?" asked Beast Boy.

Robin stood. "My Red X costume has been moved. Touched. I checked when we got back."

"But I checked the computers and the camera footage!" said Cyborg. "No one went in or out during the time we were here."

The Titans exchanged uneasy looks and shivered a little.

"Well then your computers are wrong. I know Red X is real and I'm gonna find out who he is."

Starfire scooted up to Robin protectively. "And we know it can not be Robin." He smiled grimly at her and she beamed back brightly.

Raven felt a little tug in her chest at the exchange, but ignored it. Emotions were irritating.

"So what do we do now?" Cyborg inquired.

"We wait."

"You know what that means!" said Beast Boy, brightening. "Video game bonanza!"

**:Fin:**

Disclaimer: Teen Titans are not mine. If they were, Terra would be saved somehow and Raven and Robin would like each other.

I have a little problem. In order to write this story, I need to know if you readers want a Raven to end up with Robin or Red X. So please include that in your reviews.

OH. MY. GAWD. I checked my reviews today and saw it reached 50. FIFTY REVIEWS! For two tiny little chapters! Oh! I think I fainted in shock.

A lot of you asked and hypothesized on who exactly Red X is. This is part mystery, of course. I have added clues in the text for you to find and figure out. This will be so fun!

Dark Midnightstar: Genius? Oh, you flatter me!

Le Chat de Darigan: Creepy is what this story is supposed to be.

Serene's Magick: Ooo... I can't answer that. Raven's power is involved. Just... ugh. Said too much already.

Dr. Evans: Good idea, but I already know where I'm going with this. Sorry.

Reality: I'll leave you wondering about that.

kosumi: Like I said for Serene's Magick, Raven's power is most definitely involved.

Little Black Teacup: Good question. That depends on my readers. It could be Robin or Red X. Hehehehe (sneaky laughter).

PlAySw/Fire: Keep thinking... you're on the right track, though.

eltoott: The twing is him switching off (or maybe on) the thing that distorts his voice. It's a mechanism in the mask.

As for the rest of you—I love you all! May you be surprised one day when a package arrives in the mail and it turns out to be a necklace from the creepy guy with the tattered cape!


	4. Carnations

**Vermillion**

_Chapter 4: Carnations_

**:1:**

"Wanna play poker?" asked Beast Boy, shuffling a deck of checkered cards.

Raven narrowed her eyes and wished an anvil would fall on his head. Ever since they found out about the disturbing, horn-dog stalker that is Red X, the Titans pledged never to leave her in a room alone. Thus, she was stuck on the sofa in all her waking hours, getting increasingly cranky and thinking up increasingly bloody ways to execute the others' deaths.

"No," she managed, her eye twitching.

It was Beast Boy's shift now. He was morphing into every animal he could think of, doing tricks and jumping on top of Raven as a form of primitive entertainment. The only way she got him to stop was by threatening to throw him out of the large windows and watch him drop ten stories. Fun. It was a mark off of her friends' supposed intelligences that they didn't know better than to stick both her and Beast Boy alone in the same room by now.

"Hey Raven?" asked Beast Boy hesitantly.

"What?"

"You know that Red X dude?"

"No, I don't."

He ignored her sarcasm and continued. "Do you _like_ being—you know... yeah... by him?"

"Do you _think_ I like being touched by him?"

Beast Boy flushed and shook his head at Raven's deadly, deadly look. "Right. Um... wanna play Mega Destructo Lord 3000?" he asked, pointing to the controllers.

She closed her eyes and counted to ten. No, wait—twenty. Twenty-three. "You know what, Beast Boy? Why don't you play by yourself and I'll sit here and read my book?" she said calmly.

He frowned and looked over his shoulder to see if Robin was standing at the doorway. He had been very insistent that Raven was preoccupied in the tower and would have maimed Beast Boy for neglecting his duty as Raven's 'protector.' Honestly, though—she really thought she was old enough to take care of herself. But Robin had said she was a wailing infant and needed safeguarding—and who could argue with Robin?

"Are you sure?" Beast Boy asked, looking hungrily at the gaming station.

"Yes," Raven sighed. She shouldn't punish Beast Boy for Robin's utter stupidity.

With a joyous cry, Beast Boy practically leapt onto the gaming station and turned it on. Raven rolled her eyes and opened her book, a biography on one of the cruelest women in the world—Agrippina the Younger, the mother, sister, and wife of three different, cruel Roman emperors.

**:2:**

"What do you want to do?" Raven asked dully, her chin propped on her hand.

"I dunno. What do you want to do?" Cyborg answered, fiddling with his arm.

"How about we go mess up Robin's workplace and wait for him to go homicidal and poison us with Starfire's pudding?"

"Nah."

"I can't believe I'm saying this: wanna go shopping for wigs?"

"I don't think blonde hair would fit me."

"It'll fit you better than it does me."

"Hello? Half robot man here?"

"Hello? Grayish skin here?"

"You're right. Let's take you to a tanning salon."

"No, thanks. I don't want to get cancer. You can if you want to, though."

"Don't have much to tan, anyhow. Besides, I'm black. What kind of tan would I get?"

"Let's drag Beast Boy to the salon then."

"Why not? It's not like we can have a burping contest." Cyborg knocked on the metal of his kneecap and grimaced. His finger transformed into a screwdriver and he pried it open to look inside to find a tiny rubber fish. "BB..." he growled.

"I hate this."

"So do I."

"...so what now?" Raven said, flopping uncharacteristically down on the couch. She placed her hands under her head and closed her eyes for a nap.

"Let's play 'tie up Boy Wonder and take off his mask.' "

"That's a great idea," said Raven in a monotone. "That is, if he will ever come out of that pile of newspaper clippings.

"Get some shut-eye?"

"What else? Unless you want to watch a horror movie. After it, you'll have fluffy white dreams full of candy and fairies."

"Now that's scary."

**:3:**

Raven slumped in her position on the couch and desperately hoped that someone would hold up a bank. She snuck a glance at the happy face of Starfire as she leaned close to Raven and held up a book that was awfully familiar.

"Friend Raven, I have taken the liberty of going to your favorite dark café and purchasing a book of depressing poetry to read to you!" she said, beaming as if she had done Raven a favor.

"That's not depressing poetry, Star..." Raven said, leaning away from the alien.

"Of course it is!" she persisted. "I purchased it from a young girl with a depressed countenance!"

_Probably because a reader went back and told her how horrible it was_, thought Raven maliciously.

"And now I will read to you the first poem..." said Starfire.

Raven pulled her hood up and resisted the urge to huddle into a frightened ball.

"_Every night you come to me_

_When the moon is shining bright._

_Every night I open my arms_

_Beneath the twinkling starlight._

_Your eyes excited,_

_Your lips cracked with desire,_

_My chest heaving,_

_My groin ripping with fire..."_

Starfire trailed off with a sudden blush on her cheeks. She mouthed, "Robin," then gulped and continued.

"_We sigh and embrace and touch and release_

_This is truly splendor in the grass,_

_We kiss and hold and push and bite,_

_And you laugh at my sass."_

Raven rolled her eyes at the horrible rhyming and gritted her teeth. Starfire took this for enjoyment and continued, faster and with more emotion.

"_Oh, the stars which break overhead!_

_Oh, how we shine in our joy!_

_We break away reluctantly,_

_Me, your mistress, you my boy."_

Raven trembled in suppressed horror.

"_Your chest, your six-pack, your delicious--"_

Raven leapt up from her seat and took off, Starfire in hot pursuit. "Friend Raven, where are you going?"

"Bathroom," she groaned, barely reaching the toilet in time. She retched the morning's breakfast and sat back, wiping her brow. But Starfire was not silenced.

"Here's another:

_Dancing in the darkness of your apartment,_

_We revel in each other's hot..."_

Raven moaned in horror and, losing control, reached out with her power and tore the book to shreds. "There."

Starfire's eyes widened and swelled with tears. "You do not like the poetry?"

"No," said Raven remorselessly, flushing the toilet and walking away. She heard Starfire sniffle and run off in Robin's direction, but she didn't care. The poetry was nonsense, and Starfire must be really dense not to realize it.

**:4:**

Apparently, to Raven's surprise, Robin understood why she had destroyed the poetry book. Instead of sitting down and telling Raven off in a Leaderly manner, Robin strapped on his helmet, told Raven to get on behind him, and headed for the movie theater. They did not see Starfire staring after them wistfully. They did not see Beast Boy's troubled expression. They saw the stretch of road, the buildings on both sides, and the big sign broadcasting _Daughter of Dracula_.

Halfway through the movie, Robin the demon-driven fighter closed his eyes and prayed for the bloodshed to end.

They sat in an empty theater and looked up at a tall screen where every drop of blood was amplified ten times, making Robin sick to his stomach. He glanced up at Raven, who was watching the movie, unfazed by the screaming and kicking onscreen, and wondered how she could eat so much popcorn when the hero's arm was being thrown across the empty warehouse. Oh, how he regretted agreeing to this, but it was the only way she would be amused. Starfire obviously didn't know what she needed. Beast Boy didn't share any of her interests. Cyborg languished every moment away from his cars.

"Ugh," Robin remarked when the villainess broke another man's neck with only her left hand. The head hung at a direct ninety-degree angle. Robin closed his eyes and wished he were doing something else.

"Looks like bird boy can't handle a little gore," said a creepy voice from behind them. He glanced back to see Red X perched behind Raven, a hand stroking her hair. Raven herself seemed to have frozen in her place, almost as if she was dreading turning and looking into the skull mask. "You need a real man, Raven, one that isn't afraid of holding you and can match you step by step, breath by breath."

Robin narrowed his eyes. What right did this criminal nave to say he wasn't a 'real man'? He could have insulted the fact Red X had to hide behind a mask. He could have said that Raven preferred his company to Red X's. He could have said a whole list of things. Instead, he came up with the most brilliant, original statement in the world.

"Shut up!"

Red X narrowed his eyes and moved over to Robin, catching his neck between his chest and elbow in a swift movement. He pushed Robin's head down angrily. "You don't deserve her. You have the redhead. Don't mess with Raven."

"YOU don't deserve her! What can you offer her? A life of crime! AND you were created by me! Whoever you are, Red X is my identity!"

"You lost it when I came along. You never used it to its full extent. That's why _I'm_ here."

"Damn you!" cried Robin, reaching upward, grabbing hold of Red X's belt and pulling him over his head and flinging him to the next row down. Red X tumbled to the ground, his head hitting the stone.

At this point, Raven stood up in disgust and shoved her popcorn at Robin. "Control yourself," she said coldly.

"Hey, I just saved your hide!" argued Robin, tossing the bag aside.

"I could have handled him! I'm not some stupid child unable to defend herself!"

"No, she's more than a child," whispered Red X suggestively. He placed his hands on her shoulders from behind her and gently moved them down to her fingers. She shivered and pressed her lips together in anger.

"_Azarath Metrion Zinthos_!" she hissed throwing a bunch of lights that were ripped out of the wall and cracking with electricity at Red X. He whipped out a long rod in black and silver and parried them, but it gave Robin the chance to give him a kick on his neck. Red X fell to the ground, then went up on his knees and tripped Robin.

"She's mine!" he yelled, taking out a silver-bladed knife. Red X brought it down towards Robin's prostrate figure, but Robin rolled away and the knife rooted itself in the ground.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. AGAIN!" yelled Raven. Her eyes glowed a ghostly gray and her cape started whipping around to an unseen wind. "_Azarath Metrion Zinthos_!" A group of seats uprooted themselves from the cement and she hurled them towards Red X in fury.

He was knocked against the wall and tumbled onto three seats where he promptly rolled to the ground.

"Raven, I..." began Robin, looking at the girl in wonder.

"Shut it, Robin," she said. "I told you I can defend myself."

Red X got up and laughed uproariously. "I like it when you're feisty, darling," he said. "You have so much energy."

Robin's mask narrowed when he heard Red X's comment and he launched himself at Red X, taking out his collapsible staff. He swiped upwards and Red X blocked it almost instantly. Robin continued to try to hit Red X and the villain continued to match him blow by blow. "You're getting predictable in your old age, Robin," sneered Red X, giving Robin a whirling kick. Robin flew several feet and tumbled onto the aisle. He struggled to get up and Red X used that time to derisively blow a kiss to Raven.

Robin seemed to take that as some sort of insult, so he thrust his staff into Red X's stomach and hit him on the neck in rage. Red X took several steps back, rolled his head to ease the pain, and swiped his rod at Robin's feet. Robin jumped and brought his staff down towards Red X's shoulder but the other brought up his rod and held it about his head, holding Robin's attack at bay.

Raven, in the meanwhile, crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. The credits for the movie began rolling in the background, followed by eerie violin music. She lifted her eyebrows in irritation and stretched herself in shadow, sinking into the floor and teleporting off.

Robin and Red X barely noticed.

"Why do you want her anyway?" panted Robin, blocking Red X's assault. They had cast aside their rods and started to fight with only their fists, feinting and parrying expertly, completely and utterly evenly matched.

"Why?" repeated Red X, kicking Robin in the side. The Boy Wonder doubled over in the sudden pain and Red X pulled him up by his collar. "Take a look into yourself. Why do _you_ want her?"

"But I don't! I'm in love and I'm perfectly happy with Starfire!" protested Robin, grabbing Red X's wrist.

"Are you? Then why are you so jealous?" He snickered and dropped Robin disdainfully. "Until next time, little birdie."

Red X picked up his rod and mockingly saluted Robin, then vanished into thin air.

Robin propped himself up and rubbed his side. "Ow..."

**:5:**

"Hey Raven," called Cyborg when he looked up from the blue, fuzzy food in front of him.

"Stupid macho-manic, traffic-light wearing, arrogant little--" Raven glowered, steam practically shooting out of her ears. "I'm perfectly capable of handling my own problems! And X! Despicable, condescending, perverted, self-important smart-ass..."

"You're not talking about me, are you Rae?" asked Beast Boy, falling into step next to her. "And where's Robin?"

"Probably busting his guts with Red X," said Raven. "Frankly, I don't care."

"Oh, come on! You don't really mean that, do you?"

"I can protect myself! I don't need Boy Wonder doing it for me!"

"Maybe he's doing it because he cares about you," said Cyborg sagely, taking out a tub of ice cream.

"Robin is fighting with Red X?" asked Starfire worriedly.

"Don't worry," said Raven darkly, "the worst they can do is to kill each other. No, make that the best."

"Oh, Robin," said Starfire, jumping off the couch. "I must go to help him!"

At that moment, the doors to the room opened and an exhausted Robin stumbled in. Starfire rushed to his side and helped him to the couch expressing her sweet, kind worries. Robin, smiling gratefully at Starfire, didn't look once at Raven.

Raven rolled her eyes and glanced at Beast Boy, who was still following her. "What do you want?" she asked hostilely.

"Are you sure you're all right? Do you want a green kitty to keep you company?" At that, he morphed into a tiny cat with a pink ribbon and mewed pitifully up at Raven and blinked at her with huge, wobbling green eyes.

Raven maintained a stony silence and walked on, heading towards her room.

"Raven, you really shouldn't be alone," said Beast Boy, running after her.

"I'll be alone if I want to!" she snarled. Beast Boy backed down with a huge sweat drop.

She entered her room and closed the door firmly behind her, locking it. Then she switched on the light and turned to view her sanctuary.

She screamed—and the door melted.

Beast Boy had been walking away dejectedly when Raven finally entered her room, but at the sound of her yell, he rushed in...

...to find that every item in her room, from the walls to the books to the sheets to the tables had been marked with a big, red X...

...and the man responsible, decked in gray with a tattered cape, a torn X on his chest, and a white mask, was waiting in the center of the room with a bunch of red carnations in his hand.

**[Fin]**

Disclaimer: If I owned Teen Titans, Red X would be my personal slave. But alas! I only have Speedy here... good boy! Shoot the apple!

MWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I'm so evil for ending it there, aren't I?

_Note_: Agrippina the Younger—who Raven was reading about—was the sister of Caligula, a sadistic Emperor who was both schizophrenic and epileptic. (He heard voices in his head and got convulsive seizures.) Caligula also murdered lords to get their beautiful wives and committed incest with his three sisters. Drusilla, the sister whom he loved the most, died in pregnancy with his child. Agrippina the Younger was also the mother of Emperor Nero, who neglected his armies and indulged in the wives of other lords, eventually betraying the mother who worked hard to get him onto the throne. Agrippina herself schemed and murdered to make sure Nero was able to become emperor. She married a rich, elderly man as a young widow and received much money when he died. Then she convinced her uncle the emperor to marry her. (Caligula had died by then.) When he finally named Nero as his successor, he died mysteriously. Thought you wanted to know. XD

At the time I'm writing this, the polls have been dead even [seven for each] for the Robin vs. Red X debate. Thank you, because now I know exactly what to do.

Little Black Teacup: You want Raven and Robin to have a threesome including black-donning, skull-masked Red X? Erm... I'll think about it.

Luna34-1947: Um... I'm not a huge fan of Star/Rob and this IS a Rob or Red X/Rav story. Sorry, but she HAS to end up with one or the other.

tha fonix freeke: [cackles] Just a guy obsessed with Raven? We'll see, we'll see!

DarkChildoftheNite: I'm not quite sure how long. Maybe 8 chapters, give or take one or two or four? I've got the vague plot down but other clues may need to be added.

Peace215: Thank you for that perceptive review. Maybe, when you look back when you know who/what Red X is, you will understand why your review made me grin. Your reasoning was very clear and pretty close to the truth. I can't say anymore now. Keep thinking...

Messenger of Light: Slade? [amused] maybe. Then again, maybe not. (Actually, when I was beginning the story, I thought of that. But I decided it would have been a little TOO weird.)

Le Chat de Darigan: Take over the world? Why ever would I do that? [Hides plans for evil-end-of-the-world machine to hold the world hostage for –as Dr. Evil—ONE MEEEELLION DOLLARS!]

Reality: Hmm... Starfire/Robin is understandable. Raven/Robin is interesting.

PlAySw/Fire: Maybe it is just the costume... But she's been trapped under Red X (the first meeting, where he trapped her on the wall) and I'm 95% sure he's solid. Right. No creepy dude for you.

-0-

--May you prosper, my beautiful, wonderful reviewers! May you live long, my amazing, goodly readers! Bless you all!!!—

[Plays angel music and the clouds part to reveal big white light.]


	5. Pink

**Vermillion**

_Chapter 5: Pink_

**:1:**

"_What_ have you done to my room?" cried Raven, clutching her head to keep the emotions from bursting out of her.

"You're mine, Raven," said Red X, advancing towards her. "This is just a symbol of that."

"This? I've had some of these items since I was an infant! You've ruined them!"

His reply came in the form of an embrace. He closed his arms around Raven's shoulders and pressed his cheek against her head. "Shh..." he said. "You have no idea how much I care for you."

She breathed in his scent—a mix of the fresh smell of pine, the slightest bit of cologne, and the aroma of smoke—and wondered why she wasn't pulling away from him. Was she falling for this maniac?

At that instant, a raging rhinoceros charged straight at Red X, flinging him away from Raven and onto her bed. "Stay away from her!" Beast Boy yelled, changing back to his human form.

Red X pulled himself up and took out a familiar steel ball, throwing it towards Beast Boy. He changed into a hawk and flew away as the gum-like substance erupted from the sphere. Raven took the chance to mutter her spell and cast her chair against Red X, throwing him to the ground.

"I don't care if you like me or not. I _hate_ you."

"That's not true, Raven. You know it's not," he replied, pulling himself out from beneath the chair. He handed the flowers towards her. "A token of my ardor, beautiful winged maiden."

"I can't be wooed," she said, flinging away the bundle of carnations.

"Please..." He seemed almost desperate at that moment, staring at the door in anticipation. Sure enough, Cyborg and Starfire were standing there in shock. Beast Boy leapt onto his shoulders as a green monkey and attempted to pull off his mask, but Red X caught his arm and flung him into Starfire. "I want to be with you, Raven. Robin does not deserve you."

She scowled. "Why do you want me? Why not Starfire?"

"Because you are amazing. You are beautiful, intelligent, and you have so many emotions to give. I'm in love with you. We can leave, Raven. We can fly away from here, just you and me...." He leaned close to her, almost pleadingly, and stared into her eyes.

"No. This is my home," she said.

"Raven..." 

"Do you think that all your fancy words and little touches can make me fall in love with you? You're wrong. You're arrogant, rude, and you don't know me at all."

"I know you perfectly well. I know you, daughter of Trigon. I know you, half-demon witch. I know you, essence of darkness."

Her eyes glowed white. "**Don't** call me that."

She gestured with her hand and his clothes took on the black glow of her power. She flung him out the window and let him fall, hoping he would be impaled on the jagged rocks below.

Cyborg recovered first. "Raven?"

"I hate him. I hate him." With that, she departed, leaving her room in ruins.

Starfire glanced at Beast Boy. "Please explain. How is Raven an 'essence of darkness'?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "How would I know?"

**:2:**

Kevin looked up as the door slammed in his café. Raven entered, emitting an aura of anger. "The usual?" he asked, cleaning a tall glass cup.

"No. Make it the special," she replied, sliding into a stool. She lowered her hood, showing her discontented eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, taking out the ingredients to the Special.

Slowly, she related the events in the past couple of days to him. When she was finished, Kevin pursed his lips thoughtfully and laid a steaming cup of tea in front of her. "I may just be a beatnik like any other, but I think that you should give him a chance."

"Red X?" she scoffed, fingering the cup.

"No, Robin."

"Robin?"

"He cares, you know, more than you think."

She gave him a confused look and took a sip of the tea. Immediately, a feeling of peace washed over her and she felt much better.

"You know, the boy there has been eyeing you for some time now," Kevin said benignly. She looked over her shoulder to see a buff, blue-eyed varsity boy staring at her. When she looked directly at him, he blushed and turned away.

"He really doesn't seem the kind that likes poetry," remarked Raven as she turned back to her tea.

"We've been getting many boys who come here just to see if they can get a glimpse of you," said Kevin.

"But why?"

"Why not?" he replied. "You're intelligent, darkly beautiful, and a teen titan."

"That's no reason."

"That was three reasons," he smiled.

She frowned and looked away, meeting again the gaze of the schoolboy. Fools, the whole lot of them. Heartsick fools.

**:3:**

As she returned to the Tower, a pink-haired leader greeted her by chasing Beast Boy around the control room, yelling threats at the top of his lungs.

"Uh... what happened?" she asked.

Cyborg laughed. "I suppose this is payback."

"Huh?"

"A week ago, Robin did a very unleader-like thing. He put toothpaste in Beast Boy's socks and spent the night racing motorcycles illegally. You were in your room, so you didn't hear how Beast Boy fumed. So BB bought some really strong pink dye and put it in Robin's shampoo. And this is the result." Cyborg took a seat on the sofa. "Care to watch the drama unfold?"

"No. I'm going to the roof to meditate."

"Suit yourself," said Cyborg, watching as Robin trapped Beast Boy in a corner. The green changeling transformed into a spider and scuttled away, but Robin whipped out the bug spray. The spider panicked and transformed into a cheetah, running circles around the room.

As she was ascending the stairs, Starfire caught up with her. "Friend Raven, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Star."

"I have taken the liberty of suggesting a night out onto the city, to perform dances for strangers in night-clubs."

Raven stared at her. "We're gonna go dancing tonight?"

"No, not tonight. Tomorrow," smiled Starfire.

Raven shrugged and continued on her way.

"Are you sure you are fine, Raven?"

"Yes, Star," she replied.

Starfire seemed saddened by Raven's coldness and turned to go.

"Thanks for caring," Raven added as an afterthought.

Starfire immediately brightened, lighting up the room like the sun. Raven rolled her eyes and went out on to the roof.

The night wind whipped her cloak around her body. Storm clouds drifted overhead and lights twinkled on the mainland overhead. She closed her eyes and positioned herself in the lotus position. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she said. Her cloak flew out behind her, courtesy of the strong breeze. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

A finger slowly moved down her spine. "Raven," came Red X's voice, unusually soft.

She fell to the floor ungracefully and glared up at him. "What do you want?"

"You should know by now. I want you."

"I told you--"

"No, listen. I can't stand the fact that anyone else wants you. I want you to be with me, and only me. I've worked hard to get to this position, to be able to look you in the eye and say, 'let's go away.' Please, Raven. Love me."

"I cannot love, genius," she shot back.

"Yes, you can."

"Are you trying to let Trigon loose through me?"

"No, of course not."

"Go away."

"Raven..."

"Go AWAY."

He started to fade into the air as if he were a specter, like smoke in the air.

"As you wish, my dark Lady."

As he finally disappeared, a gentle rain began to drizzle on her head and shoulders. Raven sighed as the storm grew and she was forced inside.

**:Fin:**

Disclaimer: Not mine.

This chapter is noticeably shorter than my others, but my father says I have to get off. UGH. Red X is also a lot more mushy/romantic in this chapter because he's getting desperate. Why? That's up to you to hypothesize.

125 reviews! EEK!! I'm so happy! I love you, my wonderful reviewers!

jejuneepitaph: Don't worry. There won't be a threesome.

Ripdos A.K.A the Bad Ash: Don't worry. No lemon in this story. The closest was the poetry.

Serene's Magick: Is he being overprotective or does he care? Heh. You'll see...

Springsprite: A robot built by Slade? Interesting theory.

Lotus Cat: Thank you! How sweet! Utterly and completely? XD

Le Chat de Darigan: Possessive stalker=Red X. And yes, the poetry was horrible.

Queen: I don't know... I could write another story starring Red X... Are you sure Red X doesn't know Raven? He doesn't kiss Raven. He blows a kiss towards her.

peace215: You're right. He isn't happy with Starfire. But Robin doesn't know that!


	6. Lovesick Fools

**Vermillion **

_Chapter 6: Lovesick Fools_

Note: My reviewers have asked I show Red X's face. Queen and Peace215, this is for you.

**:1:**

He was watching her. Robin was watching her. It was a little unnerving to look up from the steaming cup of tea to see Robin studying her so intently, his brow furrowed. Somewhere in the background, Beast Boy and Cyborg were arguing over breakfast again! "Tofu!" "Sausages!" "Tofu!" was the soundtrack to Robin's unwavering stare. Raven glowered. Staring for no reason was _her_ trademark.

"What?" she asked finally.

Robin didn't answer. He kept gazing at her beneath that mask of his, almost as if he were some kind of statue.

"SAUSAGE!" came the particularly frustrated bellow of the hungry athlete.

Raven sipped her tea and looked at Starfire, reading the nutrition stats on the cereal box. She poured some of the flakes in her bowl and poked it. Then she took out some chocolate milk and practically dumped it onto the flakes. Raven looked back at Robin. His gaze was positioned on her.

Raven gritted her teeth in annoyance and got up, pushing Cyborg and Beast Boy out of the way of the stove. She poured some more hot water into her mug, telling herself not to look at Robin. Instead, she looked down at her cup, watching the tea leaves swirl round and round.

When she did dare to look up at Robin, he was still watching her. Not for the first time, she wondered if he was crazy.

She sat down next to Starfire at the counter, watching her chew the flakes with a look of absolute bliss on her face. "Mmm, Friend Raven!" she said after swallowing the cereal, "you must try this! It is delicious! On my planet, such food would be in honor of a birth!"

Raven shook her head, declining the offer, and took another sip of her tea. She met Robin's eyes again over the rim of her mug. This time, she did not look away. She challenged him and they began a staring contest the others were oblivious to.

The length of their battle could have set a new Guinness record.

It was Robin who first broke away, when Beast Boy asked his opinion on which was better—sausage or tofu. When Robin didn't answer, Beast Boy waved his hand in front of Robin's face and broke his concentration. Either way, the contest wasn't really fair because Robin could have blink behind that mask of his and Raven would never know.

Robin didn't answer Beast Boy. Instead, he walked out of the room, muttering something about training.

Beast Boy scratched his head. "What's up with him?" Cyborg shrugged in reply. Starfire looked between the door and Beast Boy quizzically. And Raven? She could have told them why he went out of the room. She just chose not to.

**:2:**

On her way to her completely trashed room (the one that she did not sleep in last night; in fact, she didn't sleep at all), Raven went by Robin's training room. The door was open and she looked inside for the slightest moment.

Then she stopped in her tracks and looked inside some more.

Robin stood there, kicking and hitting a mannequin. He had stripped down to a dark pair of shorts, sweat rolling down his chest and his back. He fought with a fury, as if there were some demon inside he needed to unleash. At one point, he broke off the mannequin's arms. In disgust, he gave it a kick and it rolled to the ground, broken. Then he started on another mannequin. She could see his hair glisten with drops of sweat. He had not quite achieved the formidable act of washing all of the pink dye out, and if you looked at his hair the right way, it seemed as if he had a ring of pink around his head.

He suddenly dropped his arms and turned, looking directly at her. "What?" he asked.

Raven didn't answer, her face an apathetic mask. She pulled up her hood and continued on her way, hearing Robin punch the wall in aversion.

**:3:**

As the T-Car pulled up to an old warehouse where the nightclub was located, Starfire clasped her hands together in delight. "The music may be heard from outside, too!" she said in delight.

_Frankly_, Raven thought, _that was a bad thing._

But she obliged when Starfire pulled her out of the car and raced towards the door, the image of happiness.

"Are you on the guest list?" asked a gruff bouncer in front of the tall black doors.

Starfire nodded. "My name is Starfire and I bring a party of five."

The bouncer checked the list. "Starfire? I don't see a Starfire."

That's when Cyborg, Robin, and Beast Boy arrived behind them. Raven could almost see the hamster in the bouncer's head start running. _Robin, Boy Wonder, Beast Boy the changeling, Cyborg the half-robot man... Starfire must be that alien girl and the cloaked chick must be that witch girl. OH. THE TITANS._

"Come in, come in!" he said after a long pause. He even held the door open for them.

Raven rolled her eyes.

The music inside blasted in her ears, thudding through her whole body with each wave of sound.

_Let me hold you, Dance with me!_

The lyrics to the techno beat pounded in her head and it was all she could do just to stand up. Starfire, however, was in her element. Immediately, she entered the center of the dancing crowd, rolling her shoulders and hips in time to the music. The men around her immediately turned their attention on the young woman, but she chose to pull Robin into the middle with her. Robin seemed a little ill at ease, but he, too, began to dance.

Beast Boy spread his arms out. "Ladies, the star has arrived!" A group of young women shrieked and ran in his direction, starting to blush. Beast Boy grinned pompously, ready to be smothered in the affection of the fans, but they ran past him, nearly trampling him under their feet as they clung onto Cyborg.

"Yeah, the star being me," Cyborg grinned, smiling at one particularly pretty young woman.

Raven gave the crowd a sweeping stare and walked towards a deserted corner, trying to think straight.

_Watch me, touch me, step this way... _

The heat of the dancing bodies disconcerted her and she ordered a club soda on ice. As she downed it, a finger tapped on her shoulder. She whirled her head around, expecting Red X, but saw the blue-eyed varsity boy from the café standing there.

He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. A little ways behind him, a group of jocks—his friends, Raven suspected—hooted. "Uh... you wanna dance?" he asked, blushing.

Raven thought about saying no, she didn't dance, but then took a look at the snickering boys behind him.

"Listen, I'll understand if you say no. I'm not pressuring you or anything and I know you aren't the type that dances... though I'd really like it."

Maybe she'd do a good deed. After all, he does look pretty cute...

Most definitely cuter than Robin. Yeah. Right.

"Ok," she said.

His eyes widened in surprise and his mouth dropped open a little. "Really? I mean, great. Oh, by the way, my name's Eric."

"Raven."

"I know," he said with a disarming grin. "You're one of the Teen Titans."

She took his offered hand in getting down from the stool. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cyborg give her a thumbs-up.

She gently rotated her hips in time to the music, like she had seen Starfire do, her back facing him, and felt his hands being placed hesitantly on her waist. They danced together, in almost perfect synchronization, stepping and rolling in time to the music. His friends were watching them, slack-jawed with shock.

When the song ended, he led her out onto the porch where the wind pushed his hair into his eyes. She laid down her hood and offered a small smile. He grinned again, dimples appearing in the sides of his cheeks.

"I don't dance much." she said.

"You dance well," he replied.

They fell silent for a while, looking up at the big, gleaming moon.

"Why did you ask me?" she said after a while.

"My friends dared me to," he replied. "See, I live on Lincoln Ave, and I saw you and your friends fight that girl Jinx and her friends, and I... admired your fighting skill. You're really smart too, so I envy you. My parents are always getting on my case about grades. And... you're really pretty," he finished rather lamely.

"But I'm so dark and depressed. Wouldn't you like someone more cheery?"

"Like Starfire?" he asked shrewdly. "Nah. You're dark but you've got a good heart. Why else would you be fighting crime? It doesn't matter why you're dark or what your past is. What matters is what you make of your future. "

She looked at him in surprise.

"I read that off a fortune cookie," he admitted.

She chuckled.

Perhaps lovesick fools weren't so bad after all...

Suddenly, Eric was punched across the face. "Dude, what'd you do that for!" he yelled at the figure approaching him.

Red X snarled. "Raven is mine. Keep your filthy hands off of her," he said, picking Eric up by the collar of his jacket.

"Who I associate with is none of your business!" Raven yelled. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A nearby streetlamp hit Red X and he dropped Eric, staggering back. "Get inside," she said to the dazed high schooler.

He stood up and tried to be chivalrous. "No. Whoever this creep is, you obviously don't like him. I exercise, too. I'll take care of him!"

"Eric, no!" Raven said as Red X punched him. He hit his head against the wall and crumbled to the ground, unconscious.

Raven rushed to his side and her hands began to glow ghostly blue. She healed the crack in his skull, but was unable to revive him. "I can't believe you," she hissed, turning to Red X. "One moment you're destroying my room, the next pleading for me to go away with you, and then you're punching someone that I was dancing with. What's wrong with you?"

"I'm in love. _That's_ what wrong," Red X said. He caught Raven's wrist and shot his grappling hook upwards, catching onto the side of the building. He pulled them onto the roof and set Raven down gently.

"I can't have anyone interrupting us," he said.

"There is no _us_!"

"There will be." His arm snaked around her waist and his voice grew soft, like a caress. "There soon will be. Come away with me. We can start anew, in a different place, just you and me. We can set up our own kingdom! You will be Queen Raven. No, Empress Raven."

"Empress? And what will you be? King Red X?"

"Emperor. Emperor... Vermillion."

Raven raised her eyebrows in marked disdain.

"You don't need to be afraid to express yourself there. You will be Empress and our subjects will always love you no matter what. Even if you are the daughter of Trigon, it won't matter. It will be our own heaven."

"And what's heaven for you? Me walking around naked all day?"

"No. A little girl child named Violet bouncing around, levitating items and blowing up teddy bears," said Red X almost dreamily.

"You're right," she replied with a shy smile. She placed her hands around his neck.

Red X was surprised, but also wary of the change in Raven's attitude. She placed her head on his chest and smiled. "I understand you're in love with me."

He shivered with delight and wrapped his arms even tighter on her waist. That was when she reached up swiftly and pulled off his mask.

His eyes grew wide; then he began to laugh. "I should have known that would happen."

Raven stared up at him, completely speechless. How could it be?

How could it be Robin?

**:Fin:**

Disclaimer: Not mine.

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... Sorry, had to get that out. How many people anticipated that? Raise your hand...

No, Eric has nothing to do with Eric Forrester from the comics.

Whooohooo!! 160 reviews! Me love, me love!!

PlAySw/Fire: Gay? Where'd you get THAT? And who would he like if he were gay? Cyborg? Beast Boy? robi

Instant Coffee: Oh, thank you! Best Ficcies?? I'm so honored!

Miyu399: Thank you, but I'm not THAT good. I just... got inspired. I suppose Red X is a stalker.

Idoliar: Yes, I'm thirteen. But, then again, I read a LOT, so I get influenced by a lot of ways of writing. XD

Person: Heh... I'm in love with ten different fictional characters, so it doesn't really matter....

Ripdos A.K.A The Bad Ash: Okay..

TheDarkAzar: Oh, I don't reply? Sorry! Did I mention that Kevin is like 40-something?

Lotus Cat: Eh... he's still rather possessive. He's just really... yeah.

Serene's Magick: Right. He isn't normal.

Springsprite: Nah. He'd just find a way to get out of the darkness. He's Red X!

Le Chat de Darigan: Eh... the entire universe? You mean Starfire, too? 0.0

Queen: Yes, I am an EVIL MASTERMIND! MWAHAHAHAHA!

Arrendi: Raven? We'll see...

Peace215: Woohoo! Sugar! [Bounces around]

Thank you, my wonderful, brilliant reviewers! Keep on reviewing! Keep on reading!


	7. Iridescent

**Vermillion **

_Chapter 7: Iridescent_

**:1:**

It was Robin, but it _wasn't_ Robin.

The thing she noticed first about the man holding her was his eyes. Robin's mask was gone, and what were left were dark, mysterious eyes of every color and at the same time, none. Specks of red, gold, and orange were mixed with the green, blue, and brown. His irises were strange—almost demon-like. The entire blend of colors made them seem iridescent.

Alas, she was silent too long. He took advantage of her shocked pause to lean down and press his lips to her own. The kiss was long and deep, yet equally passionate, with an edge of need. Raven felt her knees go weak from Lust's now-strong influence and she automatically responded to his kiss. Half of her wanted to lace her fingers into his spiky Robin hair and half of her wanted to pull away and pummel him to death. In the end, she closed her eyes and stood there.

When he pulled away, many an emotion felt disappointed. Then again, many an emotion felt relieved.

He smirked down at her with all the cockiness of Robin, and winked.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

Raven turned from Red X to see Beast Boy staring at them with a horrified expression on his face. Red X pulled on his mask.

"Why do you care?" he asked, wrapping Raven to him protectively. "I've claimed her as mine."

"I'm not yours," Raven said, pulling away. "Just because I allowed you to kiss me doesn't mean I belong to you."

She could almost see him grin. "Feisty," he murmured. "I'll be back." Then he stepped back and threw down a metal ball, releasing a smokescreen. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.

"Raven, why were you kissing him?" Beast Boy demanded. "And why is _Robin_ Red X?"

"None of your business," Raven said, pulling up her hood.

Beast Boy grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the building, running down creaky stairs. "I'm gonna find Robin and clear this up," he said.

"What? No. I'm not going," she pulled her wrist away and stalked back up the stairs.

"Yes you are. Stupid playboy...." Beast Boy caught Raven and pulled her down again to the dance floor, where Robin and Starfire were still the center of attention.

"Beast Boy!" Raven cried, yanking her hand away. "That was not Robin up there!"

He didn't listen. Instead, he pushed his way through the sweating crowd and marched up to Robin.

"What kind of game do you think you're playing?" he yelled, loud enough to wake the dead.

And yes, the DJ did stop the music and everyone whirled around to look curiously at the angry green-skinned dude.

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked, puzzled. He looked from Beast Boy to Starfire to Cyborg and then Raven.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. If you're so interested in dancing with Starfire, then why did you kiss Raven?"

Amazingly enough, Robin flushed. "_What?_"

Cyborg made his way over to Raven. "Rae, is that true?"

A vein in Raven's forehead twitched. "Beast Boy, it wasn't Robin who kissed me."

"Oh yeah? Well then why did he look like Robin? Why did he sound like Robin? Why did he SMELL like Robin?"

The crowd shrank back in disgust.

"Oversensitive nose," Beast Boy muttered, his ears turning red.

"Beast Boy, I didn't kiss Raven. I was down here the entire time, with Star. Ask her."

Starfire was looking between Robin and Raven with a hurt and confused expression on her face. "Yes, Beast Boy. Robin was always dancing with me. He couldn't have gone to Raven."

"Well then, he's got to be some kind of robot!" Beast Boy leapt up to Robin's shoulder, morphing into a monkey, and attempted to pull Robin's face off. "Evil Robin from Slade, show yourself!"

Everyone but Beast Boy sweat dropped. Twice.

"I don't get it..." Cyborg said. "Robin? Kiss you?"

"Red X, with Robin's face," Raven explained.

"Red X has _my_ face?" Robin said, swiping away Beast Boy's monkey form. "MY FACE?"

"He looked exactly like you," Raven went on, "except for his eyes. He wasn't wearing a mask."

Cyborg began to wave to the people staring at the titans. "Ok, y'all. Nuthin' to see here!" Eventually, they turned back to their own concerns and the music began to blast again.

Raven gave Robin a good look. He was stunned, no doubt, and disturbed. But he was also angry. Angry Red X had his face.

As for Beast Boy, he finally listened to Raven. "Oh. Heh. Sorry, Robin. Thought you were an evil robot."

Robin glared at him. "Do I look like an evil robot?"

"Yes," said Beast Boy under his breath.

Ah, yes. We see why Robin is called Boy Wonder as he manages to catch Beast Boy's fleeing chicken form and dunk it in beer in a matter of ten seconds.

**:2:**

"Theories as to who Red X is and why he looks like Robin," announced Beast Boy, taking out a true artist's rendition of Red X in stick figure form. "One: he's a guy from an asylum wearing a Robin mask."

"I don't think it was any mask," said Raven, remembering his kiss.

"Okay. Two: An evil twin that Robin never knew he had."

"Two Dick Graysons? God have mercy on our souls," said Raven listlessly.

Robin shot her a death glare.

"Three: Red X is a robot sent by aliens to marry Raven and take her to another planet where they will be royalty."

Empress Raven... Emperor Vermillion... Violet...

"Riiight," Cyborg said, yawning.

"Four: It's all Robin's fault."

"Hey! How could it be my fault?" Robin protested.

"Eh... he looks like you, he talks like you..."

"We have gone over that before," Raven said.

"Oh, please... do find out who Red X is. He cannot be Robin, for Robin was with me when we went dancing. Robin was fighting him at the store of precious stones. Robin was fighting him at the theater. It cannot be Robin!"

"And if it is?" Raven asked.

"Impossible!" Robin spat. "Don't you know me better than that? You've told us about how he treated you, how he talked to you, how he was around you... I wouldn't do that!"

Raven gave him a cool look. "Of course not. You're benevolent, righteous, a _good guy_. You wouldn't _ever_ be like him. Oh, no. Robin is acting like a villain! He's not the perfect American citizen like we thought."

"Don't be sarcastic. This is serious!" yelled Robin.

"And you think I'm not?" she retorted, equally irate.

"Oookay..." said Beast Boy, looking between them... I'll just go to bed now and leave you two to your... lover's spat."

"We aren't lovers!" They cried in unison. The force of their two glares rivaled the fires of Hell.

"Sure, and I'm not feeling tension between you two," muttered Beast Boy. Cyborg clamped his hand over Beast Boy's mouth as Raven and Robin's glare intensified.

"What?" Raven asked.

"He said, "Sure, and I'm not gonna mention anything to you two..." said Cyborg, wincing at how lame it was.

Starfire smiled. "Perhaps the eating of sweet milk-based ice cream would help this quarrel."

"No thanks, Star," said Robin.

Raven didn't reply. She got up and departed from the room, making her way to her devastated bedroom for some solitude and quiet meditation.

**:3:**

When she got in... everything was clean. From her bed to her bookcases to her statues and paintings, everything had been restored to its previous perfection. No Xs marred her items. And sitting in her room, leaning his head against the window was Red X.

"Who are you, really?" asked Raven, passing her fingers over the large statue of the red-eyed bird.

"I can't tell you. If I do, you'll find a way of getting rid of me," said Red X, watching the night.

"Are you really Robin?"

"You know the answer to that that," replied Red X. "You also know that you can't hate me."

"Yes I can."

"No, you can't. Take a little peek inside yourself and you'll see that you are actually quite partial to me. Don't try to fool yourself, Raven. It won't work. It never does."

**:4:**

The morning was—as Starfire would say—a joyous one. The Titans awoke to a brilliant array of aromas coming from the kitchen. Beast Boy and Cyborg followed their noses down to the kitchen to find Raven standing there, pursuing a cookbook. Starfire drifted down shortly afterwards, followed by a just-showered Robin.

"Mmm... what are you making?" asked Beast Boy, jumping onto a stool.

"Strawberry waffles, fresh squeezed orange juice, and I'm baking blueberry muffins," said Raven, frowning at the cookbook.

"What glorious fragrances!" said Starfire, sniffing at the oven. "Simply delicious."

"Remember the last time you cooked? Man, that was good!" said Cyborg with a grin. "When was it?"

"Two days before Red X, I think," said Beast Boy, pouring maple syrup onto a high stack of waffles.

"Oh, yeah."

[Flashback]

"_Prime rib!"_

"_Tofu!"_

"_Prime rib!"_

"_Tofu!"_

_Cyborg glared down at Beast Boy. "I'm not gonna let you deny me my favorite dish!"_

"_Every animal is your favorite dish! Might as well eat me!"_

"_Why not?"_

_A vein pulsed in Beast Boy's head._

_As they entered the room, they saw Raven donning the Head Cook apron, stirring a pot and looking at a book. _

"_Huh?" they asked together._

"_Raven, what are you doing?" asked Beast Boy, freaking out. He was planning on making tofu surprise._

"_I'm tired of eating either squiggly tofu or red meat. We're going for something different," said Raven, tasting a bit of the tomato sauce._

"_So what are you cooking?" asked Cyborg, staring at the mushroom and onions sticking out of the sauce._

"_Spaghetti," she said. "It's for my own good."_

"_What's in the oven?" asked Beast Boy._

"_Garlic bread."_

"_Meatballs?"_

"_Cooked separately."_

"_Meatballs? Cyborg!"_

"_Salad for you, Beast Boy," said Raven turning off the fire under the sauce. "Hmm... I think this is all right. Oh, Starfire's gone out to buy some soda. She'll be back in ten minutes."_

_Beast Boy reached for the bowl of salad. "Do it and I'll chop your hand off," remarked Raven._

_He laughed uneasily and pointed to the game station. "Well, I'll be playing then."_

_Cyborg grinned. "Didn't know you could cook."_

_Raven gave him the tiniest of smirks. "I can't."_

_It was then that Robin entered, following his nose. "What is that?"_

"_None of Beast Boy's tofu," called Cyborg happily._

"_No, what is that? Something's burning..." he ran over to the oven and opened it. "Garlic bread?"_

"_Wait, I'll get it," said Raven, grabbing mittens._

"_No, I'm fine," said Robin. He reached in and grabbed the tray, but it was scorching and he dropped it with a cry. Raven saved it just in time, using her power to stop the tray before it hit the grown. _

"_Ow..." said Robin, taking off his glove. His fingers were crimson with irritation. "Damn." _

_Raven set the tray onto the table and took Robin's hand. "Should I heal it?" _

"_No, I'm fine," he said, pulling it away. "I'll be okay." _

_Raven shrugged and turned away from Robin, checking the boiling pasta and he ran his fingers under a stream of icy water, frowning. _

_It was then that Starfire came in, struggling under the weight of ten large bottles of soda. "I have returned with the Pepsi and Sprint drinks," she said, gasping as one fell to the ground. Cyborg and Robin rushed to help her with her load as Beast Boy opened one and started to chug it. _

"_Beast Boy, that's disgusting," said Raven, frowning._

"_I know," he laughed._

[End]

"So why the sudden change in your mood?" asked Cyborg between bites.

"My room is better," replied Raven. "And I had a very nice dream about tying up Red X and make him listen to a faucet drip all day."

Beast Boy exchanged glances with Cyborg. Raven could be very scary sometimes. No, correction: Raven could be very scary all the time.

**:5:**

Red X stood over Robin's sleeping form. Outside, the wind howled like a forsaken child, but inside, Boy Wonder slept peacefully. A wave of hatred washed over him as he looked at Robin, the boy who would always stand as an obstacle in his path to Raven. He had been shut in the darkness by Robin. Now it was time to take his revenge.

It was, of course, justified. It was the only way Raven would ever come to him. If everyone else was gone, and the Titans vanished, the only thing she had was him. And she would accept his offer of a home where everyone adored her, of a family, of everything. He knew all about Raven—her past, her present—and he was going to mold her future. Most definitely so.

Red X took out a silver knife. Its blade was icy cold and it shone even in the darkness of Robin's room. He gently kissed the blade of the knife in blessing. Then he pulled on his mask and narrowed his eyes.

_Goodbye little Robin._

He drove the knife into Robin's stomach and the boy awoke with a tortured scream.

**:Fin:**

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans blah blah blah....

I'm not going to give any replies to my reviewers because we are reaching the climax. There is one more chapter left and one epilogue to go. Sad, isn't it? It's gonna be over soon...

Thank you to all of my beautiful, wonderful reviewers. You are so generous! Over 200 reviews! My!


	8. Indescribable

**Vermillion **

_Chapter 8: Indescribable_

**:1:**

He pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth, curling strands of her hair in his fingers. She fidgeted a little beneath the weight of his body and felt unusually warm. He shifted his weight, leaning back on his legs and kissing his way down to her collarbone. He gently blew on it and she blearily opened her eyes. They were laying in the grass in a dark, misty landscape on a warm night. He was stripped down to his dark pants. She... she was in the nude. She struggled to cover herself, but he only laughed and gently stilled her. You are beautiful as you are, his eyes told her. Don't try to hide it.

She relaxed, stretching out under him. He stroked her ankle, running his fingers up her legs. As they reached mid-thigh, he lifted his hand and began to trace circular shapes on her stomach. The strangest thing was, her emotions were not trying to escape. They were content—settled—and it was as if she could act without expecting them to destroy everything around her. Acting on impulse—a privilege she had not had for oh, so long, she reached down and pulled him up to meet her. She gave him a firm kiss and felt his face heat up with a blush. She opened her eyes again and stared at his face. Then she noticed his eyes. His blue, blue eyes.

Somewhere in her mind, Lust was laughing.

**:2: **

Robin awoke with a tortured cry.

The door opened with a slam and Cyborg charged in. "Robin! What's wrong?" He caught sight of Red X standing above Robin's writhing body and lifted his cannon as X was about to teleport off. The beam caught Red X in his stomach and he was thrown back into the bookcase. Cyborg pulled him up and slammed him into the wall. "What did you do to him?"

"What he had always had coming," Red X replied. He held out his palm and an X shot out, wrapping around Cyborg. Red X jumped away and pulled the knife from Robin's stomach, causing more blood to spew out. Starfire, charging in, sent a stream of starbolts at Red X, eyes glowing viridian angrily. Red X tumbled to the ground and Beast Boy, having morphed into a dinosaur, caught him by the death of his uniform. Red X, struggling to break free, stabbed the now-bloody knife into Beast Boy's shoulder. Beast Boy let out a roar and subsequently dropped Red X. He morphed back to his human form, clutching the wound in pain.

Robin let out another moan, distracting Starfire for a moment. Red X took advantage of that time to wrap a binding blindfold around her eyes. Starfire, in surprise sent out a stream of starbolts that melted holes in the walls. Cyborg leaped towards Red X, but in one deft moment, he leapt up and secured the disabling device onto Cyborg's back. Cyborg tumbled to the ground, electricity crackling around him.

Raven arrived, a little too late. "What n the name of Azar...?" Her eyes narrowed. "What have you done?"

Red X saluted her mutely and pressed the X on his belt, disappearing into thin air.

Raven assessed the situation and ran to Robin first. Her hand glowing periwinkle blue, she gently rebuilt the walls of his stomach and gradually slowed the amount of blood flowing out of him. She melded the wound together, rushing along the body's natural recovery.

Starfire finally pulled the blindfold from her eyes. "Raven! How is Robin?"

"He needs to get to a hospital, fast. I can't help him much longer," Raven replied, growing pale. The healing was draining her of her energy. "Help Cyborg and get the T-Car ready," she said. Starfire pulled the device from Cyborg's back and rushed Beast Boy down to the garage. Cyborg, brushing himself off, picked up Robin and carried him down to the car.

Raven followed after a moment. Behind her, a skull-like masked chuckled.

**:3:**

Weeks later, Robin was allowed to come back to the Tower. Ashamed Red X had taken advantage of him, he spent most of his time brooding on the couch, flipping channels. Unable to move faster than a walk, unless he wished to beget pains in his tender abdomen, he was temporarily disabled. While his friends fought crime, he pounded his head on the tables. While his friends chased Slade, he contemplated getting a wheelchair.

And then came the fateful day when Raven unbound his bandages to glance at the stitches on his stomach. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"You don't want a scar, do you?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh... do you have to untie the thing?" Robin asked, attempting to cover up his bare chest.

"Yes." Raven replied in her usual monotone.

"...oh." He relaxed then, and Raven placed her glowing hands over the stitches. She worked quietly, trying to ignore the unsure glances Robin was casting her way once in a while. When she was done, she noticed something strange. Something else was healing Robin—something that shouldn't be there. She traced it to his hands... and stopped.

"What?" asked Robin, aware of the sudden change in her features. Surprise played across her face. "Is something wrong?"

"I know what Red X is."

**:4:**

They gathered again at the control room. Raven herself stood in front of the big screen, displaying pictures of Robin and Red X side by side. "I'm sure you know why I've called you here today," said Raven.

Beast Boy looked at the glum expression of Robin. "Uh... You've decided to marry Red X?"

Cyborg cuffed him.

"Red X has been plaguing me for a while now. He has been acting like a crazy stalker, and I know why. We haven't captured him on our cameras. He hasn't triggered any security measures coming into the Tower. He disappears into walls. Why? Because he's insubstantial. He isn't real. When I told him to go away a while ago, he faded into the air."

"You mean he's a ghost?" Beast Boy asked, eyes bulging.

"Yes, and no. He has a connection to me. I know that because he said that I called him, once. How? I thought about him, and he naturally responded. The fact is, he was made from my power."

"But I thought your emotions were not disturbed," said Starfire.

"He was made with my power, but not with my subconscious. The reason he looks like Robin is because he IS Robin. In a sense, anyway. He's Robin's bad side. He's the evil Robin that Boy Wonder has been suppressing for a while now," Raven said.

"Ha! I knew it was all Robin's fault!" yelled Beast Boy, jumping up in glee.

"Remember that time when I made dinner? Robin was stupid enough to pick up the tray without using mittens, and so he burned himself. I touched his bare skin—his fingers—and a little of my power escaped into him."

"Come to think of it, I was feeling a little weird after that..." Robin said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then why did Red X begin to follow you?" Starfire asked, the truth beginning to dawn on her.

"Because Robin has been suppressing something else, too. I believe that he... he had feelings that he didn't understand, so he hid them. He had been pushing those emotions away, so through my power the bad Robin found a way to materialize himself. I found traces of my power in Robin's hands when I was healing him this morning."

Cyborg scratched his head. "Why didn't you find it sooner?"

"I was too worried to think of other stuff when he was bleeding to death," said Raven, raising her eyebrows.

"Do you mean to say that Robin has these... feelings for you? But... how could that be? Robin, I... I feel a great affection for you. Can it be that you do not return these feelings?" asked Starfire, her eyes wide.

"Star... I – I don't know," said Robin, burying his head in his hands.

"What proof do you have of this?" Starfire demanded. "Robin is my boy!"

Raven turned her face away. "If you want proof, then the best thing to do is for Robin to admit to this bad side of his, and for him to admit to everything he has been suppressing. Red X will naturally disappear."

"Go on, Robin," said Beast Boy, crouching next to him. "Admit to it! You know you want to!"

"Or, if not, then Red X will gain more individuality and pretty soon, sever himself from you," said Raven.

"But if Red X was the incarnation of Robin's love for you, then why was he so jealous?" asked Cyborg, puzzled.

"Robin does not love Raven!" Starfire declared, her eyes glowing green.

"Okay, okay," said Cyborg with a sweat drop. "But say if he did..."

"Because though Red X is Robin's bad side, Robin is still his own person. His feelings... I believe they continued to grow. And who wants a copy when you can have the original? That was why he wanted me to accept him so much—because he knew that sooner or later Robin would understand himself and compete him," Raven explained.

"Fine, fine!" cried Robin. "I admit it. Sometimes I have the urges to steal. Sometimes, I want to gut Slade and hang him by his skin from the top of the Tower!"

Almost at once, Red X materialized in front of them. He looked around frantically and grabbed at Raven. "Stop him," he said, watching his hand pulse and fade. "Don't make him say anymore! I don't want to be trapped again."

"So here's your proof," said Cyborg to Starfire.

"I admit that I do want to step on the other side of the law once in a while," continued Robin. "And I admit... I do have indescribable feelings for Raven."

Red X looked around in fear, clutching at Raven's shoulders. He began to fade slowly, wavering in and out of sight. "Don't. Raven, you know how much I love you. Let me stay, damn it!"

Raven pulled away and watched with a slightly perverse satisfaction as Red X disappeared completely. His costume fell to the ground in a pile and Robin leaned over to pick it up. "Are you satisfied?" he asked in a small voice.

Starfire's eyes watered up. "You do have feelings for Friend Raven," she whispered. She flew into the air, holding her arms as if she were shivering. "You do _love_ her."

"Star!" Robin said, getting up.

Before she exited the room, she turned to face the other four Titans, tears running down her face, unabashed. "Raven, I cannot be angry at you. But I would like for you to know that my heart is splintering."

With that, the door slid open and she flew off.

"STARFIRE!" Robin yelled, taking off on his crutches. "STARFIRE, WAIT!"

He followed her at a considerably slower pace and exited the room, leaving only three.

"Uh... you aren't mad that Robin went after Star, are you?" asked Beast Boy, sneaking a peek at Raven's expression. It was calm—sad, almost.

"No," she replied, lifting her hood. She picked up the X costume and fingered it. "I did what I had to do. What Robin does now is none of my concern."

:5:

And thus, our story concludes.

_It's not finished, idiot. There's still the epilogue._

Shush. They know what Red X is now, so it's basically ended.

_No, it's not._

What do you know? It's my story anyway, Annoyance.

_It's Raven's story, not yours._

It's mine! I am Raven!

_Romantic Raven—one of her_ least_ used emotions. _

Well, it's not my fault I'm not cranky like you.

I am not cranky! 

Ahem. And thus, our story concludes. Romance is a wonderful thing, no?

_NO._

SHUT UP!

**:Fin:**

Disclaimer: Teen Titans is not mine.

AHHHHHH!! Sorry for not updating! One thing just led to another and another and (summer homework stinks. School starts tomorrow for me and my dad kept kicking me off the computer.)

First place goes to:

solarka: You got the theory from watching Charmed? _Charmed?_

Peace215: Very good.

Second place goes to:

Ripdos A.K.A The Bad Ash: Sort of an emotion, yes.

Ramandeep: Oh, very close. Very close.

Queen: Inner demons indeed.

Thank you to all my reviewers and my readers for sticking with me. I love you all! Candy for everyone!

Be sure to wait for the epilogue, which will be up soon.


	9. Epilogue

**Vermillion **

_Epilogue _

_Note: This is not the same epilogue as I first posted. I've decided that one didn't fit the story, so I made another one. Please forgive me for waiting so long to deliver this to you._

**:1:**

The sound of muffled sobbing could be heard from Starfire's door. Her despair wafted through the walls as if they were insubstantial and Raven felt them sinking into her body. She realized how betrayed the alien girl must have felt, having such unrequited love for Robin. Knocking gently on the door, she waited until the sniffing quieted to enter.

"Star?" she asked.

"Yes?" said Starfire, pretending a brave front. "What is it?"

Raven approached her. "Starfire... about the other day..."

"It is fine, friend. I am in no way distressed by the revelation," Starfire lied, smiling.

Raven shook her head. "I know that's not true. You do, too."

Starfire suddenly lifted her eyes and stared Raven in the face. "We Tamaranians have a larger capacity for emotions and are prone to bouts of depression just as humans are. Is it any wonder that I wish to weep for a while?"

Raven was unable to meet her burning gaze, and instead turned her eyes on Starfire's walls. Her eyes caught a scrapbook of 'Earth Memories' and she started forward to look at it, but in a rush, Starfire was there, standing in front of her. "Raven, I would prefer if you would respect my privacy," Starfire said coldly.

Raven looked up sharply, but regretted. There was no friendliness in Starfire's expression. She nodded, retreating. Starfire was hurt not only by Robin, but also by herself, too. She couldn't trust her, not yet.

"Hey, Rae," said Cyborg as he passed.

Raven paused for a moment, then spun around and caught Cyborg's wrist. "Cyborg," she said, "tell me. What should I do about Star and Robin? I—"

"Do you love him?" Cyborg interrupted. "Robin, I mean."

"No," Raven said. In that moment, it was true. "Attracted, maybe, but I don't... love him."

Cyborg looked thoughtful for a moment, and then grinned. "Show it. Concentrate on making Starfire happy and treat Robin no differently than before. I think both of them will get the message."

Raven nodded to show she understood, but before she could leave, Cyborg touched her shoulder. "Did you love Red X?" he asked.

Raven's lips parted, but no words would come out.

Cyborg nodded. "I thought so."

**:2: **

It wasn't much of a present, but at least it was something Starfire liked. Raven gripped the mustard tightly as she leaned against Starfire's door. Her room was eerily silent, a sort of silence that made Raven fear. It wasn't like Starfire to be so quiet... so deadly quiet.

She knocked. "Star?" she called out.

"Go. Away."

"Starfire, I need to talk with you."

"No, you do not," came the reply. "I know what you are going to say. 'I did not wish to hurt you, Starfire.' 'You are my good friend, Starfire, but despite that, I wish to be with Robin.' Do you think I would not understand you, Raven?"

"But that's just it. You do understand me, and you should understand that I don't love. I don't want Robin. The only reason I forced him to say that was so that Red X would stop bothering us. If I were to choose between you, my best friend, and him, a guy I barely know, I would choose you. I have chosen you."

Starfire was quiet again for a short time. "You know him more than 'barely,' Raven," was her reply.

"Maybe, but who was the one on the Ferris wheel with him, that day at the carnival? Who was the one that cared enough to try to get him out of that room of his and discovered that he was Red X? Robin doesn't know it, but you are the one he should love. He's an idiot for even noticing me."

A crash at the end of the hall told her that someone had overheard. Raven didn't even have to turn her head to realize it was Robin who was standing there, shocked, the box he had been carrying facedown on the ground.

"But," came the softest reply from Starfire, "now I have realized that I do not love him any longer, except as a brother. It... I suppose that's what happens after a period of contemplation. I was more hurt by you than I was by him, because you were my best friend."

"Starfire, I still am," Raven said, afraid to turn her head and see Robin's expression.

The door slid open with a slight hissing sound. Raven handed Starfire the mustard, complete with a little pink bow on top, and gasped when Starfire caught her in an embrace so tight, her breath was squeezed out of her.

The slow, stunned footsteps fading off in the other direction told Raven that Robin had departed. She felt a weight lift from her stomach. Now he could get over her, just as Starfire got over him.

**:3:**

Raven held her meditation mirror up to her face, whispering the spell to activate it. The first emotion to surface was Intelligence. "It was better this way," Intelligence murmured. "Don't feel guilty."

At that, Guilt appeared, in her dingy, dark brown cloak. "What have you done? What have you done? Now that Starfire feels better, Robin is hurt. Can't you just shut up once in a while?"

Intelligence emerged again. "Starfire is more important that Robin. What can Robin do for Raven? She doesn't love him."

Lust shimmered out of the air. "That's what you think."

They were both superimposed by Compassion, in her pearl cloak. "You should comfort him, too. He's human like any other. It was a big blow to hear the truth."

Raven shook her head. "No," she whispered. "I can't. It would seem like I care, then."

"But," Compassion retorted, "you do care. After all, you cared about Red X, despite how much you wanted to dislike him, and Red X is part of Robin."

Her face became white and her features disappeared until there were only two black holes and two red lines crossing beside her eye. Raven gazed at the image of Red X for a long moment, then laid aside her mirror.

The question hung in her thoughts for a long time.

What was she to do now?

**:4:**

He was behind her, she knew. He was standing behind her, watching her; his eyes bore into the back of her head. She just couldn't turn around, though. She just couldn't turn and meet his eyes, his accusing, confused eyes. His blue eyes.

A growing twilight enveloped the land. The city lights twinkled out at her like millions of flames dotting a temple wall. The Buddhists had the right idea—burn candles. Two stars could be seen in the early evening sky, and the thinnest crescent of the moon, too, could be discerned. ... She was certainly not going to be the first one to speak.

"Tell me you don't love me."

Finally. It comes. Now, to get it over with.

"I don't love you."

It was so... easy. Too easy.

"Say it to my face."

She turned. "I don't love you."

A muscle tightened in his jaw. "Say it, looking at me."

Raven lifted her eyes and met his domino mask. Black and white and white and black. "I don't love you."

No gray. That was all there was. Black and white and white and black.

"You know... I thought that would hurt a lot less than it did. Then again, I also thought you couldn't say it to my face, so...." He laughed bitterly. "It all came to nothing, then, Raven?"

She lifted her hood and turned away. "If that's what you want to think, so be it," she replied coolly.

"I want to ask you why you don't love me, but the answer is obvious, isn't it?"

Raven said nothing.

"It's because you don't like guys."

It hit her... sort of like a brick wall would. "What do you mean?" She was surprised at how soft, how hushed her voice came out.

"It's obvious. The way you care about Starfire, the way you dismiss the other Titans... you like girls, Raven. I've figured it out." Robin laughed again. "That's why you don't like me."

"Is this what you do to every girl who doesn't return your feelings?" Raven said frostily. "You assume that because they aren't in love with you—handsome, charming Robin—that they're lesbian? I don't know what Star ever saw in you."

"Well if you don't like girls, then who do you love? Tell me!"

"...What do you want me to say? Red X? I suppose I did love him in a way. The fact is, I don't love. At all. So Robin, fall for someone else."

He lunged forward, taking hold of her face and pulling it towards him. The next moment, her lips were trapped by his. Raven felt almost numb as he kissed her. When he pulled away, the water around the tower shot upwards like geysers.

"Tell me you didn't feel anything."

Raven couldn't speak. His kiss was nothing like Red X's, and yet it was an exact replica. Robin was Red X and Red X was Robin. She... she did love Red X when it came down to it, which means....

Robin grinned, the familiar cocky expression returning to his face. "See?"

Raven narrowed her eyes. "I felt nothing."

"You can't say that—you waited ten seconds. It isn't true if you wait ten seconds."

"Yes, it is."

"Then why did the water act like it was reversing Niagara Falls?" Robin retorted.

"...oh, shut it."

--

_Disclaimer: Not mine_


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